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Monday, 26 January 2015

Poll shows Labour losing trust after Tory alliance

A new poll has shown that Labour is losing trust in Scotland because of its, informal, alliance with the Tories for over two years in the referendum campaign. The findings of the Survation poll question, commissioned by the SNP, show that 31 per cent of people are now less likely to trust the Labour Party in Scotland as a result of their decision to campaign alongside the Tories, compared to just 14 per cent who say they are more likely to trust Labour. Fifty per cent said no difference.

The poll is particularly bad for Labour in Glasgow, where 44 per cent of respondents said they are now less likely to trust Labour, compared to just 16 per cent who said they have more trust. There were similar findings in Central Scotland where 40 per cent of respondents said they are less likely to trust Labour, while just 12 per cent said they are more likely to trust the party.

Remarkably, nearly as many people who voted Labour in 2010 and 2011 said they were less likely to trust Labour because of their campaigning with the Tories as more likely. The findings of this poll add further weight to recent opinion polling showing support for the SNP substantially outstripping Labour. An Ipsos MORI poll for STV last week put support for the SNP at the coming Westminster election at 52 per cent, compared to just 24 per cent for Labour.

Commenting, SNP Deputy Leader Stewart Hosie said: "This poll is a disaster for Labour and for Jim Murphy, who worked hand in glove with the Tories in the referendum campaign - and people across Scotland haven't forgotten that. Labour are fatally wounded by their Tory alliance, and have clearly lost trust. Nobody buys Jim Murphy's ridiculous claim that he isn't a Unionist, after he spent the referendum campaign touring the country defending the Westminster system with the Tories."

"That just insults people's intelligence, and this poll shows the trust problem that Labour now have in Scotland. In the General Election, the one party that can be trusted to stand up for Scotland is the SNP." Mr Hosie added.